Redmond’s citizens have consistently noted the desire to create a safe walking environment that ensures walking is a real travel choice. City programs that form a foundation for a safe walking environment include:

Improvements to provide safe pedestrian crossings

Completing missing links in the sidewalk system in school zones

Replacing damaged sidewalks, curbs and gutters

In addition, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires certain design guidelines and performance criteria to ensure that the City’s pedestrian infrastructure is ADA compliant.

Flexi-pave Replacing Tree Grates on 166th

In mid-February 2018, contractors will be removing tree grates and trying a new porous pavement option known as Flexi-pave around 10 trees along 166th Ave NE at NE 80th Street and along 164th Ave NE at NE 90th St.

Flexi-pave is an additional solution to plant and protect trees while addressing pedestrian safety issues associated with tree grates. Flexi-pave is a unique material made of recycled tires that collects and reduces harmful chemicals. The material lets water and air pass through so natural rain supplies the trees with clean water.

Pedestrian Crossings

The Targeted Safety Improvement Program (TSIP) identifies and implements projects to address both existing and potential traffic safety problems. While the majority of projects constructed through this program since it began in 2008 have been pedestrian and bicycle crossing safety projects, it implements projects to prevent vehicle crashes and the associated injuries, deaths or related losses.

The TSIP program consistently has a list of 25-30 potential safety projects. Examples of future projects include:

Willows Road crossing at Willows Run Golf Course

Pedestrian crossing at NE 95th St and Avondale Rd.

160th Ave NE near Trader Joes

Building sidewalks on 154th Ave NE to connect to the Redmond Central Connector Phase II

Completed projects include:

Missing and Broken Sidewalks

The Pedestrian Program helps complete missing links in the pedestrian system to provide new pedestrian connections to schools, neighborhoods and transit. While approximately 60 miles of missing sidewalk infrastructure are identified in the Transportation Master Plan, closing the gap will require additional investment.

A key area for additional investment is the 4.3 miles of local roads that are within a half a mile of elementary schools that are missing sidewalks on both sides of the roadway. Examples of these include:

Additional investments are needed to replace broken sidewalks, curbs and gutters to eliminate trip and other hazards. According to a 2012 inventory documenting the condition of existing sidewalk, curb and gutter infrastructure, there are 2,110 locations where sidewalk infrastructure is damaged beyond repair. Most sidewalk, curb and gutter damage is caused by roots from trees, with sidewalk condition degrading as the trees grow.